Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that not a single member of 17 families living in the areas affected by the massive landslides in Wayanad after heavy rains last month survived. Not only this, 119 people are still missing in the landslide affected areas and DNA samples of their 91 relatives have been collected and sent for investigation. Vijayan said on Tuesday that steps are being taken for the rehabilitation of landslide victims in Wayanad district and under this, banks have decided to return the monthly installments deducted from the accounts of the victims after July 30 and reschedule their existing loans.
Vijayan said the banks will also place a suggestion to their board of directors to completely waive off the loans taken by the landslide-affected people. The Chief Minister said these decisions were taken at the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) meeting held here on Monday. Vijayan said no member of 17 families living in the disaster-hit areas survived. Due to massive landslides in Mundakkai and Choorlamala areas of Wayanad on July 30, more than 200 people were killed and many injured in both the areas.
Vijayan said that in the SLBC meeting, it was decided to refund the monthly installments deducted from the people living in the disaster affected areas after July 30 to their bank accounts. This decision was taken to provide financial assistance to those who had to repay various loans despite the disaster. The Chief Minister said that it was also decided that the existing loans taken for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes will be rescheduled as soon as possible, a loan of up to Rs 25,000 will be made available for immediate relief, which can be repaid in 30 months.
The Chief Minister said, ‘The support of banks in Kerala is necessary to bring back to the mainstream those unfortunate people who have lost their livelihood and are struggling to survive.’ Vijayan on Monday expressed strong displeasure on behalf of the government over the deduction of monthly installments of loans by banks from the accounts of landslide victims in Wayanad and demanded that these loans be waived off completely. Steps have also been taken to arrange housing for the rehabilitation of the landslide affected people and provide compensation of Rs 6 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the disaster.